An open letter from early childhood teachers to the Prime Minister and Minister of Education.
2 December 2019.
Tēnā korua Prime Minister Ardern and Minister Hipkins,
The Labour Party has said; “Children who participate in quality early childhood education enjoy the benefits throughout the rest of their lives. They do better at school, in tertiary education, and when they enter the workforce. Investment in children is one of the most important investments any government can make.”
As qualified teachers we are essential to the quality of education and care that our youngest and most vulnerable children receive, yet the Ministry of Education does not support our pay as professionally qualified and certificated teachers to be much more than the minimum wage.
No early childhood teacher should have to get a second job, such as an actor, builder’s apprentice, or a cleaner or turn to relief teaching, to make up for lower earnings.
Please don’t force us to leave teaching by treating us as worth substantially less than our peers who work in kindergartens and schools.
You have the power to enable pay parity for all teachers in ECE.
Please act now for the benefit of children in ECE (not in one year or 10 years, but now), by ensuring that all qualified ECE teachers receive the same pay as their peers in kindergarten and in the school sector.
Ngā mihi nui,
Abbey Williams, Abby Holden, Adriana van Altvorst, Agnes McArthur, Aimee L Ritchie, Aimee O’Rourke, Aimee Traill, Alesha Honey, Alexis Nichols, Alicia Cartledge, Alicia Evans, Amanda Holdaway, Amanda McEwan, Amanda O’Connell, Amber Goudie, Amber Mcdonald, Amy Pateman, Amy Randle, Amy Reid Pou, Andrea Borrie, Andrea Loveridge, Ang Evans, Angela Harris, Angela Hayes, Angela Mitchell, Angela Wong, Anique Williams, Anita Bell, Anita Kumar, Anita Smith, Ann Fraser, Anna Hamilton, Anna Lewis, Anna Mulder, Anna Rogers, Annalie Tennant, Annalisse McMurtrie, Anne Campbell, Anne Jowett, Anne Vandenhoskn, Anne-Cecile Delwaide, Anneliese Thompson, Annelisa Ferguson, Annie Spurdle, Anthea Taylor, Ashleigh Piper, Ashleigh Walters, Ataahua-Brown Bloomfield, Averil Kirkham, Barbara Savage, Bec Wards, Becca McLachlan, Becky Christie-Beale, Becky Hayes, Benjamin Alan, Bethany O’Hagan, Bettina Marsh, Bianca Wood, Binita Nair, Bowen Yu, Brianne Meehan, Brigid Cruse, Bronwyn Carson, Bruce Osborn, Caitlyn-rose Bruce, Carina Perin, Carleen Olsen, Carol Cook, Caroline Gordon, Caroline Hjorth, Caryn Deans, Cassandra Hendricks, Cassandra Leigh Hall, Catherine Parker, Catherine Rolleston, Catherine Walker, Catriona Dick, Celeste Angus, Chanon Phillips, Chantelle Walker, Charmaine Stuart, Charmaine Zarate, Chelsea Goldsack, Chelsea Lee Jones, Chelsey Bale, Cherie Valster, Cheryl Nicolle, Chris van Kan, Chrissie Lovelock, Christine Hope, Christine Richards, Chrystal Menzies, Claire Hutton, Claire Means, Claire Smith, Claire Tuff, Constance Green, Coral Rossiter, Corie Hamilton, Corrina Dawson, Courtney Munn, Daisy Zuo, Darren Frear, David Mouat, Deanna Rogers, Debbi Beuth, Debbi Smith, Debbie Bethune, Debbie Hayward, Debra Farquhar, Dee Fawcet, Dee Makea-O’Donnell, Deesha Priyadarshani, Deidre Tavita, Denise Graham, Di Hugo, Diane Adams, Dominic Bell, Donna Williams, Eden-Jayne Groom, Eliza Bryers, Elizabeth Ashforth, Elizabeth Bray, Elizabeth Mitchell, Elizabeth Pakai, Elizabeth Todd, Elyshia Bird, Emily Dong, Emma Dowden, Emma Kitto, Emma Sands, Emma Turner, Emma-Jayne Harvey, Emmakendall Brown, Erin Bullot, Eva Johnson, Evelyn Davis, Fiona Cruickshank, Fiona Paterson, Francine Little, Gabriella Mason, Gabrielle Bass, Gabrielle Pollock, Gael Richardson, Gemma Tidswell, Germaine Manuel-Barbarich, Gina Barltrop, Ginalyn Yumul, Glads Lambarth, Gloria Menezes, Haley Plaistowe, Hannah Dowling, Harriet O’Sullivan, Harriett Solomona, Hayley Angelo, Hayley Te Wao, Hazel Brown, Heather Marshall, Heather McQuillan, Heidi Brittenden, Helen Angland, Helen Richardson, Helen Taylor, Holly Green, Imtias Ali, Ishrat Vohra, Izrana Ali, Jaime Boulton, James Lochead-MacMillan, Jamie O’Neill, Jan Mills, Jane Turnock, Janelle Herbert, Janene Prendergast, Janet Leary, Janet Walden, Janette Buntine, Janie Smith, Janine Ratapu Ihaka, Janine Silva, Janine Sinclair, Janine Smith, Janna Poot, Jasminder Virk, Jasmine Kaur, Jean-Ellan Tomoana, Jeffrey Lanzilotta, Jen Adams, Jen Price, Jen Rawson, Jennifer Black, Jennifer Waugh, Jenny Hamilton, Jenny Soh, Jess Bacon, Jess Gaul-Crown, Jessica Bailey, Jo Arnold, Jo Benton, Jo Fletcher, Jo GT, Jo Morrison, Jo Wild, Joan Osborn, Jo-Ann Murray, Joanna Watson, Joanne Coatsworth, Jo-Anne Edser, Jodie Tilson, John Carter, Jonna Ramirez, Josephine Tatad, Joy Bruce, Joy Williams, Joyce Miller, Judy Singh, Julia Carr, Julia Mildenhall, Juliana Saini, Julie Ferguson, Julie Shelley, Julie Walker, Kadesha Whyte, Kaitlin Groom, Kamal N Nirshma Chetty, Karen Frear, Karen Girvan, Karen Hubbard, Karen Stevenson, Karyn Marnitz, Kate Chaney, Kate O’Sullivan, Kate Smithies, Kate Thomas, Kate Wright, Kathie Donaldson, Kathryn Livingstone, Kathy Hammill, Katie Louise, Katie Taylor, Katrina Culhane, Katy Jackson, Kea Te Rurehe-Lātū, Kelly Brown, Kelly Frost, Kelly Griffiths, Kelly Hancock, Kelly Miller, Kelly Smith, Keren Manuseuga, Keshni Malik, Kia Hawes, Kim Abercrombie, Kim Hartley, Kim Putze, Kim Sole, Kiran Kabita Devi, Krista Scelly, Kristi Ballinger, Kristin Taylor, Kristy Hamlett, Kylea Landreth, Kylie Duncan, Lacey Galvez, Laura Anderson, Laura Graham, Laura Meadows, Laura Price, Lauren Graham, Lauren Horsfall, Leah Greaves, Leanne Davis, Leanne Ellis, Leanne Ray, Leanne Wakefield, Lee Gumbley, Lee-Ann Adamson, Leeann Johnson, Lee-anne Perkinson, Leigh Saunders, Leisa Blank, Leisa Watts, Leona Moore, Leslie Carroll, Lex Priestley, Leyna Suzan, Linda Dyer, Linda Pelling, Linda Petrenko, Lindi Colby, Lindsay Welch, Lisa Almeida, Lisa Kiri Mccullough, Lisa Matthews, Lisa Schwamm, Lisa Williams, Liz Budai, Liz Ferris, Loknandini Reddy, Loreena Dawson, Lorena Uili, Lorna Low, Lorna Pelvin, Lorren Hawkfox, Louise Checketts, Louise Forrest, Louise Merrall, Louise Partleton, Lucinda Ransley, Lucy Nissen, Lynda Braid, Lynda Elgie, Lynda Lincoln, Lynne Steele, Macy Chan, Mandy Allen Chadwick, Mandy Honey, Manu Da Silva, Manu Pohatu, Mara Goes, Marchell J.T Linzey, Maree Osborn, Margaret Dixon, Maria Andersen, Maria Byrne, Maria Prue, Marianne Walker, Marie Tikao, Marilyn Cook, Mark Walker, Marri Pureu, Mary Davies, Mary Saxon Faulkner, Maryam Mazhar Siddiqui, Maryam Sheikh, Maureen Edhouse, Maya Divers, Megan Aitkenhead, Megan Applebee, Megan Fowler, Megan Macpherson, Megan McEwan, Megan Whitney, Mel Pakai-Ross, Melanie Koteka, Mele Mosa’ati, Melinda Mcginty, Melinda Robinson, Melissa Lewis, Melissa Nicholas, Michelle (Shelley) Anderson, Michelle Broome, Michelle Marais, Michelle Marriott, Michelle Rochester, Michelle Samuels, Michelle Selby, Michelle Williams, Minda Arriola, Mindy Cheung, Miranda Williamson, Missy Wright, Moana Chapman, Moets Ormsby, Moinie Gampuka, Moira Parry, Molly Northcott, Monica Walton, Monique McDonald, Myra Adams, Nardine Frost, Natalie Conner, Natasha Fernandes, Natasha Good, Natasha Hoskins, Natasha Kumar, Neha N Kumar, Neha Seth, Nereda Blair, Nic Briggs, Nicki Genet, Nickie Mackwood, Nicky Burnett, Nicky Hawker, Nicola Black, Nicola Finlay, Nicola Morley, Nicole Andrews, Nicole Paulsen, Nikki Dempsey, Nikola Lockerbie, Niky Veele, Paula Drummond, Paulie Webster, Penny Sampson, Peter Lloyd, Philippa Geary, Philippa Milburn, Phoebe Anderson, Pietta Wright, Piri Taurima, Quannah Nickerson, Rachael Carty, Rachael Fearn, Rachael Stone, Rachael Williams, Rachal Watts, Rachel Aitken, Rachel Drummond, Rachel Pratt, Rachel Rapley, Rachel Thorn Vercoe, Raewyn Ings, Raewyn Solomon, Ranee Bell, Rebecca Aspin, Rebecca Butler, Rebecca Corbett, Rebecca McCall, Rebecca Nilsson, Rebecca Pearse, Rebekah Howarth, Ree Muir, Renee Stone, Rhonda James, Richelle Cossill, Rita Smit, Rob Means, Robbie Ryan, Robyn Gordon, Robyn Humphrey, Robyn Walker, Rochelle Cooper, Romain Lahaut, Rosalie Leuluai, Rosalina Fili Tuala Fomai, Rosemary Davies, Rubie Holmes, Ruth Christian, Ruth Gilbert, Ruth Gilchrist, Ruth Walden, Sadaf Hussain, Sally Binks, Sally Mehrtens, Samantha Blackler, Sameer Nisar, Sandra Carey, Sandra Mead, Sandy Herewini, Sandy Rankilor, Sapna Sarao, Sarah Badenhorst, Sarah Field, Sarah McClure, Sarah Roberts, Sarah Vea, Sarah Veng, Seema Soni Sidana, Serena Cameron, Serena Maree Costello, Serena Rogers, Shaan Nelson, Shabnam Azmeen Hafiz, Shana Kamana, Shane Clarke, Shani Revill, Shannon Keane, Sharon Bush, Sharon Harding, Sharon Harris, Sharon Lewis, Sharon Udema, Shelley Besley, Shelley Osborn, Sheree Bos, Sheree Hosking, Shiree Ritchie, Simon Christensen, Simone Baker, Simone Butler, Simone Dawson, Simone Flanagan, Slavica Jovanovic, Sonia Byrne, Sonia Rocha, Sonia Sehnaz, Sophia Banu Ali, Sophie Owens, Sreeja Menon, Stacey Green, Stacey Leaning, Stacey Palmer, Steph Hazlitt-Black, Stephanie Harlan, Sue Biggar, Sue Kippen, Summa Richmond, Sunnyraj Raj, Susan Clare, Susan Kortright, Susan Taurua, Suzi Cook, Swapna Bandla, Sweta A. Subedi, Taila Bennett, Tamelia Blackburn, Tammie Dunstan Hunt, Tammy Bayley, Tammy Johnstone, Tania Hutchinson, Tania McDougall, Tania Small, Tania Sutton, Tania Swann, Tannia Dellaway Eagle, Tanya Louw, Tanya Mcgahey, Te Aroha Coleman, Teresa Vitasovich, Tess Sutton, Tessa Taurere, Theresa Signal, Tiahna Gianni, Tiffany Bing Shi, Tim Roland, Todd Portsmouth, Toleafoa Sayonara Faamausili Fala, Tori Fellows, Tracey Hall, Tracey Lanfear, Tracey May, Tracey Murray, Tracey Nic, Tracey O’Regan, Tracey Ryan, Tracey Winter, Tracy Reed, Tracy Solomon, Trish Murphy, Trish Ray, Truus Dingemanse, Tufalei Taeao, Val Roose, Vanessa Cawood, Vanessa Taylor, Veronica Cockinakis, Veronica Fairless, Vicki Gavin, Vicki Gifkins, Viv Browne, Wendy Rameka, Wu Rene, Yannick Carpentier, Yena Heo, Yvette Hurst, Yvette Rawle, Yvonne Dalglish, Yvonne Pirie, and Zoë Cumming.
Comments
Glads: “The pay ECE teachers get doesn’t create any incentive to go and study. I work in ECE and am Playcentre trained, nothing official from MoE. So I’m paid at an unqualified rate, but what I do get I feel quite happy about because its enough not to want to deal with the stress and pressure that comes with studying. If I thought it would really change my life going to study then of course I would but its not.”
Chantelle: “I am supporting every action taken for pay parity for ECE, wholeheartedly. I feel we are undervalued and therefore underpaid. I have been in ECE since 2003 and have been looking to shift into a higher paying job, but children are my passion! I look forward to hearing the response from parliament and thank you for being our voice in ECE.”
Cassey: “Love this.”
